Monday, November 12, 2012

ABIGAIL ADAMS CELEBRATED IN SONG AND VERSE

Presidential
First Ladies have always been a fascination, from Martha Washington to
Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama. They have ever exuded mystery and
mystique, what they wore, what they said, where they traveled, what they
did.

Thanks to the newly created Legacy Theatre, we have the
unique opportunity to make the acquaintance of First Lady Abigail Adams,
the beloved wife of the second president, John Adams and the mother of
the sixth president, John Quincy Adams. Nonie Sorensen has penned a
revealing portrait in "Affectionately, Abigail, for its northeast
premiere," that will be presented for its final performance, Saturday,
November 17 at 2 p.m. at the James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main
Street, Branford.

Much of this personal recollection is based on
the abundance of letters that an affectionate Abigail wrote to her
devoted husband as he served his country before, during and after the
Revolutionary War. From his early days serving in the Continental
Congress, when he stayed for months at a time in Philadelphia, through
the writing of the Declaration of Independence, his stints as a diplomat
dispatched to Paris and London and finally his election to the
presidency, Abigail was his constant counsel on issues of politics and
government.

Keely Baisden Knudsen is delightful and charming as
the steadfast wife who maintains the home front, raising six children,
enduring hardships, surviving epidemics, always supportive of the man
who gave so much of himself to his country.

Intimate details of
their lives are uncovered through words, many spoken by Tom Schwans who
takes on the role of narrator and as John, and the music that highlights
moments such as his patriotic work, the hopes for women's equality,
Abigail's "duty to soften all his cares" and her declaration "I love
America." A continual selection of visual slides accompanies the
presentation, adding color and depth. This historical pageant is
beautifully and sensitively directed by Stephanie Stiefel Williams.

The
first two performances took place on Friday and Saturday, November 9
and 10 at 7 p.m. at the Nathanael B. Greene Community Center, 32 Church
Street, Guilford. The performance is free but donations are most
welcome.

The Legacy Theatre will be holding spring Acting
Workshops on the third Saturday of each month from January to May, 2013
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Guilford Community Center for ages 12 to
adult. Sessions will deal with Beginning Acting, Improvisation,
Monologues and Audition Techniques and other theatrical topics. Go to
www.LegacyTheatreCT.org or call 203-457-0138.

The primary mission
of the Legacy Theatre is to buy and restore the Stony Creek Puppet
House Theatre and make it their permanent home. A major fundraising
effort will culminate this June.

Let the words of Abigail Adams, in her correspondence with her statesm